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The first aspect of Paparinz’s work that captures the eye is its nice coloring. If you look at his illustrations closely, you can see the robots and weapons are drawn in surprising details. Although he has such ability, it has only been two years since he genuinely started drawing illustrations, before which he was doing bike maintenance. We sat down with Paparinz for a one-on-one interview to find out his thoughts on drawing illustrations.
Creator Introduction
Name: Paparinz
TOM Portfolio Page: http://otakumode.com/paparinz
TOM: What kind of characters do you usually draw?
Paparinz: I really like humans with animal features, so I often draw characters like that. They make me want to stroke their tails and ears (laughs). I often draw Vocaloids, too. Since I only started Internet-surfing when I bought my PC two years ago, I wasn’t very familiar with its popular content. I bought CDs and became infatuated with them as I listened. I like Yuzuki Yukari, she is very cute.
TOM: Please tell us how you got from buying a computer to drawing pictures.
Paparinz: I saw pictures of different people, and I realized there are a lot of them who are better at illustrations than me. You know, when I was in junior high, I liked Final Fantasy and I would often draw illustrations of the monsters. I had confidence in my work, so it was quite a shock to me. I was so frustrated by this that I started practicing illustrations while doing a different job. After drawing them for half a year, I came to love it, and I wanted to genuinely do it, so I quit my job and jumped into the world of illustrators.
TOM: That was quite a drastic decision! You must have had a lot of trouble when you started drawing…
Paparinz: When I started drawing, I was worried because I paid too much attention to Internet assessments, like how many times they were viewed and such. In order to get assessments, I only drew cute girls, which I’ve never drawn before, and fanart of copyrighted works. However, I got tired of this strained drawing, and I stopped drawing for about a week. It was so bad that I became nauseous when I tried to draw (laughs). At that time, I was thinking about what it is that I really wanted to draw, and I realized that the answer to that was cool and original images. Ever since then, I’ve been drawing the stuff I like.
TOM: Is there something you are particular about when drawing?
Paparinz: Drawing down to the smallest details. It doesn’t stand out on a big illustration, but I pay attention so that the line drawing doesn’t jut out and that there are no holes in the coloring. I challenged myself with manga once, but I drew each cell in detail and didn’t make progress at all, it was a failure. I’m more cut out to draw one illustration at a time.
Also, I make efforts to create the image. If there is something I don’t know, I go look at the real thing or buy a book to gather data. When I was drawing dinosaur bones, I went all the way to the museum (laughs).
TOM: You took the trouble and went to the museum! You are super particular.
Paparinz: Sometimes people tell me, “You learned to draw so well in just two years, it’s amazing,” but I think that’s only the result of drawing relentlessly. First, I copied 1,000 illustrations for practice, and I would use my lunch break at work to draw illustrations. Even today, in order to create an environment where I can concentrate on drawing, I don’t have a TV and games in my apartment. Originally, I had a different job, so I feel extremely happy that I could make drawing my job.
TOM: Is there something you would like to draw in the future?
Paparinz: I’m trying to find that out through trial and error. I have drawn a lot of cute pictures since I became able to get commissions, but I’d like to go on and challenge different styles now. I like pictures that combine moe with cool.
TOM: Since you started drawing illustrations only two years ago, please say a few words to the beginners who have just started.
Paparinz: I think drawing is not about talent, it’s about effort. If you like illustrating and practice a lot, you will become better at it. I’m the same, I get better and better by steady practice. So, let’s work hard together!
Check out our picture collection of the talented Paparinz, and don’t forget to SUKI him! Keep it here for even more interviews with some of the most prominent creators in the otaku world!
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
